Patrimony and history

Since the ancient time, various civilizations shaped the history of Saône-et-Loi. five centuries before Christ, Bibracte's Celtic oppidum, on the Mountain Beuvray, was the Eduens'capital, dethroned 15-10 years before J, C, by Augustodunum ( Autan) " sister emulator of Rome ". Burgondes attached to it their name. In the IX-th century, the monks Balance the Romanic abbeys of Tournas, then that of Cluny which was going to shine on all Europe.
From Charles the Bold to the French Revolution then until our now, Saône-et-loire was always active in the history. It was the avant garde of the industrial era. Creusot and Gueugnon's (1783) forges were founded under Louis XVI, the canal of the Centre dug in 1793, and Montceau-les-Mines extracted the coal under Napoleon III. In 1882, in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, Niepce invented the photography.
The testimonies of this particularly fertile history abound: archaeological vestiges ( Solutré), exceptional " Romanic Garden " with a concentration of more than 253 Romanic churches and chapels; numerous castles dating from the medieval era to the romanticism ; a patrimony which contributes to immortalize the habits and customs of Saône-et-Loire.

SPIRITUALITY
Since more than 10 centuries the spiritual heights - places which have for name: Cluny, Paray - Monial, Tournas and Autan give evidence of the spiritual vitality of Saône-et-loire, this region is blessed...there are multiple Foundations of monastic type: the Buddhist centre Kagyu Ling in Boulaye, the orthodox convent in Uchon, the sisters of Béthléem in the saint - Benoît Valley in Epinac and since 50 years Taizé's oecumenical community shine on the five continents.
Paray-le-Monial, «sanctuary city in France ", welcomes numerous pilgrimages. Indeed, spiritual history goes back to 1671, date in which, Ste-Marguerite-Marie Alacoque encouraged by her confessor St - Claude La Colombière, will develop the cult of the Sacred Heart: pilgrims from the whole world stream and the Community of the Emmanuel animates all year round international sessions of the charismatic flourish. Besides, Burgundy constitutes always one of the crossroads on Saint Jacques de Compostelle's roads, one of the main pilgrimages of the .medieval: Age, dedicated to the cult of Saint Jacques le Majeur. His presumed grave had been discovered miraculously, a bit further the year 800, in the northwest extreme of Spain. If it practiced, since the XI-th century, a force of attraction capable of competing With Rome and with Jerusalem, it is due to, among other reasons, to the support the quite powerful Cluny's abbey. Didn’t her abbots see in the liberation of Compostelle's sanctuary the justification of the reconquest of Spain dominated by the Moors?
From Vézelay, or by crossing the valley of the Saône, or Autunois by way of the Charolais in the direction of Puy-en-Velay, tracks of the pilgrimage are visible in Autun (eardrum of the cathedral), Brancion ( frescoes) and Semur-en-Brionnais (statue), without forgetting the vestiges of Cluny's abbey... recently, from Cluny, the pilgrims can borrow, on foot, the marked out section of St - Jacques until Puy-en-Velay ( the High Loire).